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The manager of a newsagents who was robbed at knifepoint by three raiders says she may never get the image of their frightening Halloween-style masks out of her head.

Judge Andrew Easteal ordered the three young men to show their faces to Paula Shaw, 62, after being told she was haunted by the memory of a skull mask, a Guy Fawkes mask and a motorcycle-style balaclava.

Lincoln Crown Court heard two of the robbers aged just 16 and 17 were carrying knives when they carried out the robbery six days before Halloween.

Mrs Shaw was so frightened that she has been forced to give up her job at McColl's Newsagents in Holbeach.

Masked raiders held up McColl's Newsagents in Holbeach

She described the worst part of her ordeal as not knowing the faces of her young robbers and so the judge took the highly unusual step of making all three teenagers in the dock turn around and face her in the public gallery.

All three defendants said "sorry" to Mrs Shaw after being told by the judge: "Gentleman, please stand up and look at Mrs Shaw."

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Mrs Shaw was working alone in the newsagents at 7.30pm on October 25 last year when the three masked youths were filmed carrying out the robbery on store CCTV.

During the hearing Judge Easteal told all three defendants he would make them watch the footage again if they did not look at the CCTV while it was played in court. The judge told them: "You need to see what you have done."

Duncan Smith, prosecuting, said the plan to commit the robbery had been "hatched" by two 17-year-olds who were living in the area. Another local 16-year-old, who lived with his parents, was invited to join later.

"They had provided themselves with a change of clothing and some Halloween masks," Mr Smith told the court."

"Two of them had armed themselves with knives."

The court heard one of the 17-year-olds was wearing a skull mask and carrying a knife. The 16-year-old was also carrying a knife and wearing a Guy Fawkes mask.

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Passing sentence Judge Easteal said it was clear all three young men had hung their heads in shame after watching footage of the robbery and seeing Mrs Shaw in court.

"It is a tragedy," the judge said. "There is almost a pathetic absence of sophistication in what they did. They didn't have a clue."

But the judge added: "It doesn't remove the harm they did."

The judge also praised Mrs Shaw for her immense courage and determination when confronted by the robbers.

"Bravery comes from showing courage when you are truly scared," the judge said. The judge told all three youths that despite the heartbreak it would cause their parents he could not avoid a sentence of detention which would have been much longer if they were grown men.

He told them: "You were good kids who did a terribly bad thing."

The 17-year-old who carried a knife was sentenced to two years and eight months youth detention.

The 16-year-old, who has turned 17 since the offence, was sentenced to two years and four months youth detention.

Hughes-Morris, who was living in Gedney, at the time of the robbery was sentenced to two years and four months in a young offenders' institution.